Berlin Man Sentenced To 41 Months In Fraud Case

HARTFORD — A 57-year-old Berlin man was sentenced by a federal judge Wednesday to 41 months in prison for a scheme that defrauded investors of more than $1 million, officials said.

Frank Mete had pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion in December, the U.S. Attorney's office said. He was also sentencted to three years of supervised release.

Mete also faces state charges from late 2013 on accusations of impersonating a police officer and sexually assaulting and robbing prostitutes.

In the federal case, Mete was charged with represented himself from 2009 to 2012 as a loan broker, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The government said that through false documents he persuaded investors to write checks for fictitious borrowers, then would forge signatures and deposit the money into bank accounts he opened under the fake borrowers' names.

Mete defrauded investors of about $1.2 million, the government said, and also he failed to pay federal income tax from 2009 to 2012.

A judge ordered Mete to make restitution to the investors and pay $666,851 in back taxes, penalties and interest to the IRS, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.